NASA takes Pulse

Tralee-based PulseLearning has won a contract with NASA (the US National Aeronautical & Space Administration) to supply training services to 1,700 NASA staff.

The deal, which is understood to be in six figures, has already been “signed, sealed and delivered” and went live in January according to Jim Breen, CEO of PulseLearning.

PulseLearning built a custom e-learning solution for NASA’s Ames Research Centre (ARC). Pulse designed, developed and now hosts the application – PulseAssess – which is being used to train the employees on how to use an internal travel management system. The learning system provides users with a workflow process and procedures model for requesting, approving and reporting travel.

Gail James, training officer at Ames, said: “We faced a number of challenges introducing this agency-wide internet application. Employees have different roles when using the travel manager software and each role has its own particular processes and procedures. There’s no ‘one-training-session-fits-all’ answer. Besides, at NASA it’s difficult getting folks into a classroom. Everyone is always struggling to balance work schedules against demands for training. What’s worse, we are dispersed geographically.”

PulseAssess also provides a template structure for stand-alone internet browser deployment in the absence of a learning management system. Incorporated in the toolbox are the course guide, lessons, assessments, feedback survey, FAQs and reporting. The system was installed in under nine weeks.

The technology will be initially used at NASA’s California base but other locations including the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, which also employs 1,700, are also showing strong interest in the technology. Breen said that further NASA implementations would double or even treble the value of the contract, which incorporates initial development and set-up costs and separate user licence fees.

Founded in 2001, PulseLearning targets firms or organisations that are subject to government compliance regulations or internally-imposed compliance regulation. Customers include Pfizer, Citibank and HP Financial Services.

The company employs 40 people worldwide and has sales offices in New York and London in addition to its Tralee HQ.

The company achieved revenues of US$1.3m for 2003, a quadrupling of the 2002 figure, according to Breen.